Who says the entertainment industry is still partying like it's 1999? Sure, that was the case at Sunday's Oscar ceremony, but behind the scenes things aren't so rosy. The latest casualty of the recession is a film starring Piece Brosnan called "Heaven and Earth." The production, with a $20 million budget, was supposed to have started shooting in Cape Town, South Africa earlier this month, but funding failed to materialize on time and the shooting schedule was canceled until the problem gets sorted out. Brosnan had actually traveled to Cape Town to get started, but has since returned to Los Angeles. His production company Irish Dreamtime is involved in trying to get the film back on track. "Heaven and Earth" tells the story of James Miranda Barry, a doctor born as a female who had to disguise herself as a male in order to have a career in medicine. Natasha McElhone is also down to co-star. Michael Auret, managing director of a company called Siper Films, which is producing the movie along with Focus Films, told the Sunday Independent that he's hopeful a resolution will be forthcoming. "Pierce came down and all the crew and cast came down and then we had problems closing the financing. But they are still very interested in the project," he said. "Focus Films have been meeting their financial obligations in the pre-production period, as far as we are aware, and will continue to do so via bridging loans until the legal agreements are finalized and the rest of the finance flows into the production." Brosnan's personal website, however, contains no mention of "Heaven and Earth." The actor does talk about several projects he has in the pipeline, including a thriller with Roman Polanski set to shoot in the spring called "The Ghost," and a summertime film with Morgan Freeman based on the children's book "The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle." Though Oscar didn't shine on Brosnan this year, the annual Razzies, doled out for the most hideous performances, did "award" him with a Worst Supporting Actor nod for his role in "Mamma Mia!" It's one razz that undoubtedly won't trouble Brosnan, as the musical based on the ABBA stage show cleaned up at the box office, and set records in the U.K. for fastest selling DVD ever.
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